Outlines still valid
David writes about NoteMesh, a collaborative note keeping tool (wiki) for students. He states,
“if I were still teaching history, I would never make another study guide for my students. Part of their job, as my students, is to make their own study guide using the classroom wiki. Basically, their job is to take notes, share them, and format their notes so that they would become an effective study guide.”
I think that’s a great idea and a step in the right direction. I would add, however, that study guides in the form of outlines are still a valuable learning tool for students. For example, during lectures (is it still OK to lecture?), an outline can direct/focus students’ note taking because 1) the main points are there–in a visual form, no less–allowing students to see hierarchy/subordination/relationships, and 2) we’re not testing students’ skills as scribes. If we provide the skeleton, the students can fill in the rest.
The reason I believe in outlines is because I think they can decrease “bad” learning (incorrect or inaccurate notes) and they can help students focus on the important topics. I remember a few classes in which I never quite understood what the most important themes were. Have you ever studied for a test and emphasized the “wrong” material? Ouch. (I chalk that up to bad teaching.)
A class wiki or collaborative note keeping tool can certainly help with these issues, provided the teacher closely monitors the notes and corrects errors and brings focus. Of course teachers can do this without the need for electronics by simply pausing for a few minutes every 15 minutes or so and asking students to compare notes and summarize the important concept(s).
